Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative, Inc.

On November 21, 2024, Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative, Inc. suffered a data breach caused by the loss or theft of a device, compromising the personal information of 2,663 individuals, including 2 residents specifically affected. The incident exposed sensitive data, prompting the company to offer identity theft protection services such as 12 months of credit monitoring, fraud consultation, and identity theft restoration through Kroll to mitigate risks for the impacted individuals. The breach highlights vulnerabilities in device security and data handling protocols, as the unauthorized access stemmed from physical loss rather than a direct cyber intrusion. While the exact type of compromised data (e.g., financial records, PII) was not detailed, the provision of credit monitoring suggests exposure of personally identifiable information (PII) that could enable fraud or identity theft. The company’s response focuses on post-breach remediation rather than proactive cybersecurity measures, raising concerns about long-term data protection strategies. The scale of the breach (affecting thousands) and the nature of the exposed data likely including customer records underscore the potential for reputational damage and financial risks for those impacted, though no evidence of large-scale exploitation (e.g., ransomware, mass fraud) was reported.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/a7063aa2-26e4-42cb-afe9-2848fd00ba62.html

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/copper-valley-telecom

"id": "cop023091825",
"linkid": "copper-valley-telecom",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "11/2024",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 2663,
                        'industry': 'Telecommunications',
                        'location': 'Maine, USA (reported by Maine Office of '
                                    'the Attorney General)',
                        'name': 'Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative, Inc.',
                        'type': 'Telecommunications Cooperative'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Loss/Theft of Device',
 'customer_advisories': 'Identity theft protection services (12 months of '
                        'credit monitoring, fraud consultation, and identity '
                        'theft restoration) offered to affected individuals '
                        'via Kroll',
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': 2663,
                 'personally_identifiable_information': True},
 'date_detected': '2024-11-21',
 'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported that Copper '
                'Valley Telephone Cooperative, Inc. experienced a data breach '
                'on November 21, 2024, due to the loss or theft of a device. '
                'The breach affected a total of 2,663 individuals, with 2 '
                'residents specifically impacted. Identity theft protection '
                'services, including 12 months of credit monitoring, fraud '
                'consultation, and identity theft restoration through Kroll, '
                'were offered to those affected.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential (identity theft protection '
                                       'services offered)',
            'data_compromised': True,
            'identity_theft_risk': True},
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Loss or theft of a device'},
 'references': [{'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Maine Office of the '
                                                       'Attorney General'},
 'response': {'remediation_measures': 'Offered 12 months of credit monitoring, '
                                      'fraud consultation, and identity theft '
                                      'restoration to affected individuals',
              'third_party_assistance': 'Kroll (identity theft protection '
                                        'services)'},
 'title': 'Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative, Inc. Data Breach (November '
          '2024)',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}